What to look for with composite aircraft wire aging
This article continues the theme of identifying different kinds of wire aging, by describing the signs indicating when a composite wire is starting to age. Read more
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Basic concepts in understanding aircraft wire degradation
Aircraft wire degradation often means a reduction in a wire insulation’s ability to withstand physical, electrical, or chemical strain. Such reductions can lead to insulation breaches, which can result in system interruption. All modern wire insulations are long chains of molecules called polymers. Over time, due to various types of stress, there is wire degradation. […] Read more
When should you consider adopting an aircraft wire life extension program? Part III
This is the third article in a series addressing the concepts associated with wire life extension and an Electrical Wire Interconnection System (EWIS) analysis of aging aircraft. The When should you consider adopting an aircraft wire life extension program? article addressed some of the fundamental concepts behind risk and risk assessment and how they are […] Read more
ETFE vs XL-ETFE vs PTFE: What’s best for wire circuit protection?
One reader of the blog asked Lectromec to compare products for wire circuit protection. A couple of the common wire insulations on the market are based on the PTFE and ETFE polymers. PTFE (DuPont trade name Teflon®) is a fluorocarbon and is constructed with carbon and fluorine atoms, whereas ETFE is a carbon, fluorine, and […] Read more
An overview of the “Big 2” wiring insulations: PTFE and ETFE
Editors Note: Article updated August 29, 2014 Most aerospace wiring insulations on the market are based on the PTFE or ETFE polymers. These polymers have a high corrosion resistance and strength and excellent dielectric properties that make them perfect for use in aircraft and radio wiring. PTFE (DuPont trade name Teflon®) is a fluorocarbon and […] Read more
Arc flash assessment on naval vessels
Arc flash is a problem for many industries; with increased demand for electrical power, arc flash is the likely consequence. To combat this growing hazard, most organizations have taken proactive measures to provide training to their staff in the proper way to protect against an arc flash. This training is the first line of defense in protecting […] Read more
EWIS evaluation of F-16
You may ask about EWIS evaluation of aircraft of a F-16. The results of recent testing indicated a rate of 5.4 breaches per 1000 feet of wire tested. Lectromec and InterConnect Wiring, at the 10th Aging Aircraft Conference, delivered a report describing a recently completed series of tests to evaluate the status of wire harnesses removed […] Read more
Aircraft wiring material considerations beyond insulators and conductors
The basic tool kit to understand aircraft wiring goes beyond some of the basics. Here are some topics of interest: Materials that are insulators There are a large number of materials that are insulators and they can be either inorganic or organic. Practically all organic materials that are used for insulation purposes are polymers. Inorganic materials […] Read more
How to identify an aircraft wire to understand wire system degradation
If you try to identify an aircraft wire, particularly in service conditions, is not an easy task. However, we know it can assist with understanding details of wire system degradation. With the a variety of codes combined with the difficulty of finding the code on smaller gauge wires can try the patience of a skilled technician. […] Read more
For aircraft wire systems, there is no perfect conductor, not even a silver plated one
Aircraft engineers are always seeking perfect aircraft wire systems. Problems with silver plated copper wires were discovered during the 1960’s; in particular, a corrosive effect emerged that was commonly referred to as Red Plague (cuprous oxide and perhaps some cupric oxide). Read more